Road repair apparatus



May 1, 1934.

J. S. LITTLEFORD, JR

ROAD REPAIR APPARATUS Filed Oct. 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M81 s51; Wm

y 1934- J. s. LITTLEFORD, JR

ROAD REPAIR APPARATUS Filed Oct. 25. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May1, 1934 STATES PATEN? ROAD REPAIR, APPARATUS Wadsworth ApplicationOctober 25, 1929, Serial No. 402,421

9 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in road repair apparatus. One ofits objects is to provide an improved road heating apparatus adapted toheat a section of the road to be repaired in order to drive awaymoisture and melt or soften the tar component of the road-bed so thatfresh asphalt or tar impregnated material may be applied so as to attaina firm bond between the new and the old road material, and so as toavoid chilling the new road material before it has formed a bond withthe old road material. Another object is to provide road heatingapparatus adapted to be conveniently moved about from place to placewhile heating the road and also adapted to be converted into a trailervehicle and transported from place to place where road repairs may berequired.

Another object is to provide a relatively light weight and readilyportable road heater. Another object is to provide a blow torch roadheater adapted to the use of liquid fuel in the heating of the road, andwhich can be quickly and efficiently applied. My invention alsocomprises certain details of form and arrangement and combination ofcomponents, all of which will be fully set forth in the description ofthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved road heating apparatus inposition to heat a section of the road.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same in its collapsed and invertedposition, adapted to be employed as a trailer vehicle.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4- i of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the heater shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 40 66 of Fig. l.

' Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken through the heater or hood on line77 of Fig. 4.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one embodiment of my invention inwhich 15 represents 45 a relatively shallow sheet metal hood adapted tobe inverted over and cover a considerable section of the road. The sidewalls and rear wall of the hood iit close to the surface or in contactwith the surface of the road. Th front edge 16 of the hood tapers towardthe road and has an open space 40 between its lower edge and theroad-bed, through which the products of combustion within the hood mayescape. The rear face 1' or" the hood is perforated and provided withone or more Windshields 42, to receive one or more blow torches 18,which are supplied with liquid fuel through a valve controlled supplypipe 11 from a fuel storage reservoir 19, in which the liquid fuel isunder pressure. The pressure of the jet of fuel escaping in the blowtorch serves to mix the vaporized fuel with sufficient air to effectperfect combustion of the fuel, and the flame from the blow torch isdischarged within the hood which serves to hold the heated gases incontact with that section of the roadway beneath the hood, and the wallsof the hood also re lect and concentrate heat downwardly upon theinclosed section of the roadway, thereby quickly raising the temperatureof the hood enclosed section of the roadway even in cold weather, to atemperature at which the asphalt or tar contents of the roadway meltsand to permit heated new road repair material applied thereto to fusetherewith. The spent products of combustion escape through the openingat the front of the hood.

At the rear of and close to the hood is an axle 22 and a pair of vehiclewheels 24. The hood frame comprises a pair of channel bars 25 attachedrigidly to the top of the hood and projecting from the rear end of thehood. These ends are perforated to receive the axle and support the hoodrelative to the axle 22. In the position shown in Fig. 1, the bottoms ofthe wheel rims resting upon the roadway are substantially in the sameplane with the side and rear edges of the hood, while in the positionshown in Fig. 2, the hood is held some distance above the road-bed.

The carrier frame comprises a pair of channel bars 26 also pivotallymounted upon the axle 22. This frame extends rearwardly and upwardlyfrom the axle 22, and shorter arms of the bars 26 extend forwardly anddownwardly from the axle, and are provided with projections 27 whichproject beneath the lower edges of the bars 25 of the hood frame, tolimit the relative pivotal movement of the hood frame and carrier frameon the axle 22. An operator by bearing down upon the rear ends of thecarrier frame bars 26 may counterbalance the weight of the'hood upon theaxle 22 so as to lift the hood free from the roadway, whereupon the hoodmay be manually pushed to a new location, ready to heat a new section ofthe roadway. The fuel storage reservoir 19, the weight of which varies,is adjustable endwise upon the carrier frame bars 26 to assist incounterbalancing the weight of the hood. A tongue 29 having an eye 30 atthe end thereof is attached to and extends up from the rear end of thecarrier frame bars 26.

When it is desired to transport the heating apparatus to anotherlocality for use, the torch 18 is detached from the hood. and fuelreservoir 19 is detached from the bars 26 and the torch and reservoirare placed in a truck for transportation. The hood is then folded overupon the carrier frame with its bars down between the carrier frame bars26. The hood thus is inverted from the position shown in Fig. 1 to theposition shown in Fig. 2, and the eye 30 of the carrier frame tongue 29is attached by a coupling pin 31 to a coupling member 32 carried at therear end of a truck 33, whereupon the device, with a receptacle bodyformed by its hood, acts as a trailer vehicle and follows the truck to anew locality where road repairs are required.

In order that the torch or torches may operate reliably and efficiently,I provide wind shields 42 which are attached to the rear face 17 of thehood and inclose the forward end of the torch at the top and on bothsides, and serve to protect the flame from severe air drafts liable toblow out the flame or adversely affect its operation. Above the windshield and attached thereto is a polygonal supporting lug 43 whichenters a polygonal eye 44 in a projection 45 carried by the torch. A setscrew 46 serves to lock the torch to the lug 43, with the forward end ofthe torch close to the perforation through the rear plate 17 of thehood, in which position the torch receives a full supply of fresh airwithout liability of being blown out, and only the flame from the torchenters the hood. A pre-heating pan 48 V is attached to the torch.

The apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerablemodification within the scope of the claims without departing from thespirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. Road heating apparatus comprising a hood adapted to enclose a spaceover a section of a roadway to be heated, a fluid fuel burner positionedto supply heat to the interior of said hood, carrying wheels rotatablyjournaled in connection with one end of said hood, a carrying framepivotally connected to the end of said hood adjacent the journals forthe carrying wheels, said frame provided with a stop to limit therelative movement of said frame and hood, said carrying frame serving tocounterpoise said hood upon its carrying wheels when said hood is to bemoved from place to place while in operative position, and to providesupporting means for said hood in an inverted position when said hood isbeing transported as a trailer.

2. In a device of the character described, a carrier member and a membercomprising a hood and a fluid fuel burner therefor, having at adjacentend portions a pivoted connection on which said members may be foldeddirectly together, means limiting unfolding of said members, and arolling support adapted to roll on a lat surface and connected to one ofsaid memoers near its pivoted end, said hood member be- :ng carried withits opening upward on said carrier member when the members are foldedtogether, and said members being positioned by said limiting means withthe hood opening downwardly adjacent to the flat surface to form anenclosure at the surface, with the carrier member serving as acounterbalancing handle device for said hood, at convenient height formanual grasping, when the members are unfolded.

3. In a device of the character described, a

carrier member and a member comprising a hood,

having at adjacent end portions a pivoted connection on which saidmembers may be folded directly together, means limiting unfolding ofsaid members, a rolling support adapted to roll on a flat surface andconnected to one of said members near its pivoted end, said hood memberbeing carried with its opening upward on said carrier member when themembers are folded together, and said member being positioned by saidlimiting means with the hood opening downwardly adjacent to the flatsurface to form an enclosure at the surface, with the carrier memberserving as a counterbalancing handle device for said hood, at convenientheight for manual grasping, when the members are unfolded, said hoodhaving an aperture at its end adjacent to the pivotal connection, and afluid fuel burner mounted on said hood for adjustment toward and fromsaid aperture.

4. In a device of the character described, a carrier member and a membercomprising a hood and a fluid fuel burner therefor, having at adjacentend portions a pivoted connection on which said members may be foldeddirectly together, means limiting unfolding of said members, a rollingsupport adapted to roll on a flat surface and connected to one of saidmembers near its pivoted end, said hood member being carried with itsopening upward on said carrier member when the members are foldedtogether, and said members being positioned by said limiting means withthe hood opening downwardly adjacent to the flat surface to form anenclosure at the surface, with the carrier member serving as acounterbalancing handle device for said hood, at convenient height formanual grasping, when the members are unfolded, and a supply device tosupply fuel for said burner mounted on said carrier member foradjustment toward and away from said rolling support.

5. Road heating apparatus comprising a hood adapted to inclose a spaceover a section of the roadway to be heated, a fluid fuel burnerpositioned to supply heat to the interior of said hood, an axle and apair of vehicle wheels attached to one end of said hood, a carryingframe pivoted on said axle and having a limited movement relative tosaid hood, said carrying frame serving to counterpoise said hood uponsaid axle when said hood is to be moved in its operative position fromplace to place on the surface being treated and being adapted to havethe hood folded against it and to act as a draw-bar and supporting barfor said hood when said hood is being transported with its openingupward whereby the apparatus may be moved as a trailer vehicle.

6. Road heating apparatus comprising a hood adapted to inclose a spaceover a section of the roadway to be heated, a fluid fuel burnerpositioned to supply heat to the interior of said hood, an axle and apair of vehicle wheels attached to one end of said hood, a carryingframe pivotally attached to said axle and having a limited movementrelative to said hood whereby it may I be extended from said axle on theside of the axle opposite to the side thereof which the hood is on, anda fluid fuel reservoir supported upon and adjustable longitudinally ofsaid carrying frame and having a flexible connection to said burner, andserving to partially counterbalance said hood upon said axle and wheels.

'7. Road heating apparatus comprising a hood adapted to inclose a spaceover a section of the roadway to be heated, a blow torch carried by saidhood and positioned to supply heat to the interior of said hood and theroadway beneath the hood, an axle and a pair of vehicle wheels attachedto one end of the hood, a carrying frame pivoted to said axle and havinga limited movement relative to said hood, said carrying frame serving tocounterpoise said hood upon said axle when said hood is to be moved inan operative position from place to place on the surface being treatedand adapted to have the hood folded against it and to act as a draw-barand supporting bar for said hood when said hood is being transportedwith its opening upward whereby the apparatus may be moved as a trailer,

vehicle.

8. Road heating apparatus comprising an axle provided with a pair ofvehicle wheels, a carrying frame pivotally mounted on and lying at oneside of said axle, a hood and a fluid fuel burner therefor, said hoodbeing pivotally mounted on said axle and resting on said carrying framewhen the latter is used as a draw bar in transporting the apparatus,said hood being capable of swinging on its pivot off of said carryingframe to the other side of the axle to face the roadway for use, leavingthe carrying frame in its original carrying position.

9. In a device of the character described, a

carrier member and a member comprising a hood, having at adjacent endportions a pivoted connection on which said members may be foldeddirectly together, means limiting unfolding of said members, a rollingsupport adapted to roll on a flat surface and connected to one of saidmembers near its pivoted end, said hood member being carried with itsopening upward on said carrier member when the members are foldedtogether, and said members being positioned by said limiting means withthe hood opening downwardly adjacent to the fiat surface to form anenclosure at the surface with the carrier member serving as acounterbalancing handle device for the hood at convenient height formanual grasping when the members are unfolded, said hood having anaperture at its end adjacent to the pivotal connection, a fluid fuelburner mounted on said hood for adjustment toward and from saidaperture, a supply device to supply fuel for said burner, mounted onsaid carrier member for adjustment toward and away from said rollingsupport, and a fluid fuel conducting connection from said supply deviceto said burner permitting adjustments of the supply device and theburner.

JOHN S. LITTLEFORD, JR.

